Your writing platform probably won’t look exactly like mine, and it won’t look like those of your colleagues necessarily. There are no tools or tactics that you must use, although there are some that are used more commonly than others. It’s up to you to choose the things you’re most comfortable with, which will also appeal to your own target market.

Here are some things that may work for you in building a writer platform:

1. Setup a professional website and public portfolio
2. Start a blog where you can demonstrate your authority in your niche or industry
3. Conduct original research and publish the results (to again convey authority status)
4. Give speeches at industry events or organizations
5. Conduct seminars and / or webinars
6. Offer a course or e-course (free or paid)
7. Get published in trade or niche publications read by members of your target market
8. Write and release e-books and / or reports
9. Write a book (again related to your specialty area)
10. Have op-eds or letters to the editor published in newspapers, magazines, or Web publications
11. Take part in article marketing
12. Comment on blogs or websites in your niche or industry
13. Write guest posts for other blogs in your niche or industry (the more visibility the better)
14. Setup your own virtual publicity tour (combining reviews, guest posts, interviews, etc. over a week or so)
15. Write for a larger site, blog, or network regularly within your niche (by-lined work, and often paid)
16. Solicit or make yourself available for interviews
17. Release a white paper
18. Start your own podcast series
19. Create a video series or video blog (can be good for tutorials)
20. Guest lecture at an educational institution
21. Send pitch letters to targeted journalists, pitching a story concept and offering yourself as a source
22. Actively take part in forums, social networks, or other online communities in your niche or industry
23. Take part in joint promotions with others
24. Publish (or allow others to publish) excerpts of longer books or e-books you’ve written
25. Join professional organizations
26. Create your own networking group or professional organization
27. Build a following on microblogging services like Twitter
28. Offer a print or email newsletter
29. Offer related products (if you’re a health and fitness writer, for example, you may publish and sell–or give away–your own fitness calendar or training plan)
30. Give away free stuff (freebies are a great way to give people a taste of your expertise and style, and they attract links and buzz)

Like I said, you don’t have to do all of these things. Everything in the list isn’t appropriate for every freelance writer out there. But there sure are a lot of options, aren’t there? How many do you currently use to your advantage? I find that even experienced freelance writers often don’t make use of many of the tools available to them. Are you doing enough? At a bare minimum, pick one thing from the list this week and start pursuing it. Yes, there’s some market planning to do (which we’ll cover also), but for now just narrow down your options and lay the framework (always keeping your target client base in mind of course).

This month’s monthly marketing mix focuses on networking. Here are a variety of things you can do during May to further your writing business and grow your client base:

1. Get out in your neighborhood. Spend some more time (or any if you don’t usually) networking and reaching out to locals.
2. Branch out. If you aren’t attracting as many clients as you would like, your target market might be too narrow. Think of at least one new, but similar, market to pursue this month. For example, if you write for women’s interest magazines, you may want to look at parenting publications. Or if you write marketing copy for law firms, you might add a new vertical writing for other professional groups (like accountants).
3. Grow your confidence. It’s difficult to effectively network if you aren’t confident in your work and abilities. Go back to your USP (unique selling proposition – the value you’re really selling clients). Remind yourself why clients should hire you, and then spend some time thinking about how you can better convey that value to prospective clients moving forward in your networking.